Belfast business offers smoking jobs to area

BELFAST, Maine (NEWS CENTER)-- Business is booming for one Belfast company. Ducktrap River of Maine produces premiere smoked seafood. The demand for the product continues to grow so that the company can barely fill their orders.

General manager Don Cynewski said, "Our employees are working over 60 hours a week. We are producing everything we can and it's just keeping up with the demand. We are actually having to slow down our sales force a little bit."

Cynewski said the only solution is expansion. The plan includea opening 40 to 50 new jobs in Belfast plus expanding the production facility by almost 50 percent. The expansion carries a price tag of 4.5 million dollars.

Over the past four years Ducktrap River has seen an increase in demand for smoked seafood and growing interest in the product.

"The demand for smoke salmon is increasing in the United States. it's still a new item and sales will continue to grow and demand will continue to increase," said Cynewski.

The new positions will be filled over the next 4-5 years. Most of the expansion will take place in the production areas and include an additional smoker to keep up with the increasing demand.